


Pickpocketing the Holiday Spirit

by sperrywink



Category: DCU, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Christmas, Episode Tag, Gen, Holidays, Possibly Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 01:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6217891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sperrywink/pseuds/sperrywink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Headcanon for the episode <b>Running to Stand Still</b>. Picks up when Leonard leaves the West house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pickpocketing the Holiday Spirit

When Leonard was sufficiently far enough away from the West household and wouldn’t be seen, he removed Barry’s wallet from his pocket. He hadn’t intended to steal it when he broke into his house, but when Barry slammed him against the fireplace he snagged it automatically.

There wasn’t much in there. A driver’s license with the typical god-awful picture, a couple credit cards, a Jitters loyalty card, some receipts, a couple pictures, and $17.53. He slowly fanned through the pictures first. Most were of the foster-sister, and Leonard raised his eyebrows at that, because he didn’t think they were in a relationship. Then he checked the receipts, including some ATM ones. Mr. Barry Allen did not have much in savings from what Leonard could tell. He found himself tsking. Civil servants definitely didn’t get paid enough these days. No wonder he was living at home.

Humming to himself, he put everything back and pocketed the wallet. Getting on his bike to drive to his safe house, he considered this new information. It might not tell him much about the Flash, but he had wanted to know Barry’s identity for just this kind of insight into the man behind the Flash. All in all it had turned into a fruitful trip he thought. Originally, he had just intended to pass on his message to warn Barry and let that be it, but now he had to plan for when Barry realized his wallet was gone. This was going to be fun.

* * *

* * *

Leonard was in Saints and Sinners when Barry found him. He was deliberately keeping himself accessible, even though he was an escaped felon. He wanted Barry to find him. Barry stormed into the bar saying, “What is wrong with you!”

Looking up from the pool table, Leonard smirked. To tweak Barry’s nerve, he said, “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

Barry held out his hand and glared at Leonard, while Leonard tried not to laugh. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Now give me my wallet back.”

Straightening up slowly, Leonard held the pool cue with both hands, and considered Barry. He was gritting his teeth, and Leonard could see how incensed he actually was. It was kind of funny that such a little thing got such an extreme reaction out of him. His anger was as visible and obvious as how mad he had gotten when he discovered Leonard in his house. Reaching into his back pocket, Leonard removed Barry’s wallet and handed it over, curious to see what would happen next.

Barry snatched it out of his hand, and started checking the contents. Leonard snorted. “Don’t worry. I didn’t steal your seventeen dollars. It looked like you could use every cent.”

“Did you go through my wallet?” Barry asked in disbelief. Then he huffed out a mocking laugh, and continued, “Of course you did. You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

“I’m a curious kind of guy.”

“That’s one word for it.” Barry stuffed his wallet into his pocket and crossed his arms, looking defiant. “What I can’t figure out is why you took it. I thought you were a high-end thief? Isn’t it beneath you?”

Leonard actually laughed at that. “Kid, larceny of any kind is never beneath me.”

Barry exploded into words, waving his arms in his agitation. “Well, it should be. You can be so much more than this! I wish you would realize that!”

Tilting his head, and lifting his eyebrows, Leonard considered Barry. Back to this again. He said, “Maybe I should share my wallet. I think you need a refresher course in who I really am.” Leonard’s wallet contained stolen money, stolen credit cards under various names, and a driver’s license with a fake identity. He was comfortable with that.

“You wallet won’t tell me who you are, just who you’re pretending to be this week.”

“Exactly.”

Leonard watched as Barry visibly drew himself up to his full height. He wasn’t surprised when Barry switched tactics. “We captured Mardon and the Trickster, you know.”

“I’d heard.” He had assumed this was the way it would turn out with the ingenuity of the Flash team, and the stupidity of Mardon and the Trickster. They were so bent on personal vendettas, it was only a matter of time until they were caught. Non-profit work definitely didn’t pay, in a variety of ways.

“You should have joined us.”

“Maybe next time.” As the words left Leonard’s mouth, he was surprised to find he actually meant them. He was no one’s hero, but he was willing to accept that the thrill of facing metahumans was also there. Challenging The Flash was fun and exciting, and he wasn’t sure he would get tired of it, but he also found pushing Barry to be better was a thrill too. He wondered when that happened, and when he had decided working with him might be a better way to do that.

Barry stumbled over his words. “Yes, okay, I mean, okay, yes.” He looked stunned again, and Leonard figured it was worth budging a little just to see that expression on his face. He smirked back at Barry’s blushing face, and Barry rolled his eyes, but some of the tension left his posture.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, “I should go back to Joe’s.”

“Sure.”

“Merry Christmas,” Barry said as he turned to leave with a backward glance. Leonard nodded and watched him go. He didn’t mention the fifty he had slipped into Barry’s wallet earlier. He’d find it one day, and if he didn’t suspect Leonard he might actually keep it. Who said Leonard didn’t have the Christmas spirit.


End file.
